Separated at Birth
by jeanandjenny20
Summary: Have you ever been in this situation? Your driving through America, trying to find your twin sister with another watch that you never knew existed. R&R Please! There's suggested "Gwevin" in later chapters. But I don't know for sure.
1. Life Changing

**Notes:** Thus the chronicles begin. I am totally chalk-full of ideas, and I hope you enjoy this lovely Chapter 1. I think it's cool how I put in lottle points of view. Near the middle of the story, Ben and Jen will have to meet. Twins?! I know, right?! But read, and keep yourself guessing! Hope you enjoy it.

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**Separated at Birth**

_By: jeanandjenny20_

**Chapter 1: Life-Changing**

**--Jen--**

I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock early in the morning to find myself in my normal state: a pure-hearted Wilson since birth. But now, I'm sleeping in an alley with my best friend in who knows where—and I find myself a Tennyson. You ever had those times? Yeah, you could say that was me.

Ever wondered how that started? I thought so. Well, here's how it went:

_Good morning Bismarck! It is 6:00 in the A-M on a Friday, and for all our kid listeners, you'd better wake on up to celebrate the last day of school! School, after tomorrow, is officially over, and tomorrow, I'm making a wake-up call at 10:00 sharp, reminding you to attend the Bismarck Summer's Day Parade, welcoming your first week in summer vacation. Now, get on up because school is—_

"Good morning to you too, Chip." I spoke back to the loud voice of Chip Chivvies, morning anchorman of 99.5 FM Radio. I turned off the alarm clock lazily with my heavy arm. Gravity never did me well in the morning.

My lazy bones pulled themselves together to walk into the bathroom just inside my room. I stripped to my bare skin, and started the shower, where I would soon wake up entirely. Rubbing soap onto my body, and shampoo, then conditioner onto my oak-brown hair, the warm water ran down my skin, rinsing me.

Drying myself with a towel minutes later, I was wrapped inside of it. I stood in my room, standing idly and looking at my wardrobe.

"Maybe the usual," my green eyes lined the dangling clothes. I picked a green shirt with black striped, and a matching skirt, shoes, and headband to match. Green and stripes; my permanent life's color scheme.

Slipping my stylish clothes on, I reviewed my look in the full-body mirror. Giving pop-star poses, and kissing the air with my curled lips, enjoying my style. I then grabbed my side bag, drenched in books from high school. A fifteen year old could only carry so much.

Jumping downstairs, I found my parents sitting at the table, my bald dad reading the gray newspaper and sipping coffee, and my busybody mom crunching numbers for her real estate profits.

"Cashing in mom?" I smiled, my way of saying, 'good morning loving mother.'

"Yeah, actually. We've hit a major cash breakthrough. We can get a new car, new computers, whatever." She smiled at her wonderful gains.

"That's great! Because I was thinking about looking into a hybrid." I smiled, taking my seat, with my meal set in front of me. Bacon and eggs sizzled warm, fresh from the pan.

My dad sipped his coffee, focused in on the news.

"Morning, dad," I interrupted his reading, "looking through the competition?"

"Morning honey, the competition is really slowing down. My news company is taking off in comparison." He noted.

I smiled proudly at my parents' career successes, "And I'm currently passing all my classes with flying colors. Will you guys come to the ceremony?"

"What ceremony, babe?" My dad was focused back into the colorless news.

"My _award _ceremony. Guys, I'm graduating." I explained.

"Jen, you're-you're graduating?!" mom sounded shocked.

"Yes, mom! Where have you been this _entire _year?" I have never been more disappointed.

"Hum-we'll be there." Mom cleared he schedule. She wasn't going to make it.

_Somewhere out there, there's someone having an even worse time _I thought. The bus honked at my door.

"I'm going to be late." I said gloomily. My parents noticed my departure.

"Bye, love you Jen." My dad said good-bye. I disregarded the 'love you' and just plainly responded, "Yeah. Right." And I left.

Sitting tediously on the bus, I looked out the window, staring up at the clouds. I thought to myself, _I wish I had some brother or sister to be there for me._

Oddly, I did have one. I just didn't know it yet.

**--Ben--**

"I have a sister?!" I ended up screaming angrily at my parents. Why would they keep something secret like a twin sister away from me? I thought I loved them. Well, I do, but—but—I don't know.

"Ben, please don't overreact about this," Mom tried to comfort me.

"Mom?!" I was flustered, and shook my head about. My long, brown hair was everywhere, "I have a twin sister! You gave her away!"

"I _had_ to." My mom defied, giving me every right to be mad.

"Then why didn't you just give me away too, huh?!" I almost cried.

"…Ben…" her face was more sincere, her eyes flooding with tears.

"I'm going to Gwen's house. Maybe she and I can talk with a little more understanding." I somehow insulted my parents.

"Why can't you just talk to us, Ben?" Dad interrupted.

"I really don't want to speak to people I really hate at the moment." I felt no mercy for those creeps. No, I really didn't mean creeps, but—I don't know.

"That's no way to talk to your--" My dad started but was cut off.

"Save it, alright?" I tried hard not to cry, and slammed the door in their faces. Walking down the lonely road, so many thoughts ran through my head, and I needed someone to spill my guts to. Gwen was _always _there.

_DING-DONG! _

Gwen's dad answered, "Hey, Uncle George."

"Hey, Benny. What's up?" Uncle George asked, sawing me tear up.

"Is-is Gwen home?" My voice crackled, "I need to-to talk."

"Oh, I get it. Cousin thing. She's in her room, you can go on up." Uncle George allowed me in, as I raced up to Gwen's organized and carnation-girl room. She lay on her bed studying, three textbooks, and a notebook with distinctive writing open.

"Ben? What's the matter?" she saw me crying. When she came up to embrace me, I cried some more, "Oh, Ben. It's okay."

I totally spilled everything. She looked as shocked as I did, but she didn't combust into floods of tears. Usually, Gwen would be annoyed by my constant complaining. But this time, she was sincere.

"Gwen, can I stay the night? I sort of pissed off my parents, so--" I explained guiltily.

"Enough said. I understand. I'm kind of overwhelmed too." Gwen nodded, and laid out a sleeping bag for emergencies. I would sleep over lots of times in case my parents were ticked off. She even had emergency pajamas, toothbrush, and the whole deal just for me. Gwen was prepared for these days since they started.

"Here, put on your pajamas in the bathroom. I have to change too." She ordered quietly, as I took the matching plaid pajamas for me to change into. We soon were back in the same room with our pajamas on, as we lay on our stomachs with my nylon, red sleeping bag under us. We strolled through memories in the old-as-dirt photo album stuffed with precious thoughts.

"Hey Gwen," I began to talk out of nowhere, me no longer crying, "I want to find my sister."

"How? She could be anywhere." Gwen responded.

"We'll figure it out." I didn't put any emphasis on 'we'll', in case she didn't want to.

"Count me in. Anything for you, cousin." She answered sweetly, "We'll start in the morning. It's late."

_2:49 AM_

She shut off the pop-art flower lamp, leaving me on the ground next to her light pink twin bed, as she crawled into it. The blue moonlight seemed to tickle the sleeping bag I slept in, as I lay awake, drowned in my thoughts. I dozed off hours later and began to dream.

_My sister…Ben! You have a sister! _My parents floated in his dream.

_Don't leave me, Ben. Please, don't! _This distinct face of a girl appeared. I was so sure it was her.

_I'm-I'm slipping! Ben! I'm going to die! _My dream sister was slipping into the black abyss.

_Ben! Help! _I couldn't even move, to help my sister.

_It's me, Jen! Don't leave! _Apparently, I _could_ move, and _wasn't_ helping my sister: Jen.

Her hand slipped, as she fell into the mysterious black beyond.

_Aaaaaaahhhhh! _My sister shrieked, as she fell to the scariness.

"Jen!" I screamed in the middle of the night, panting hard, and sweat lining my forehead. Gwen got up somewhat angrily.

"Ben? What's the matter?" She rubbed her eyes.

"My sister is Jen." I said silently, and slowly. I knew her name, and wasn't any more sure about anything in my life. I was also sure that I needed to find her. Fast.


	2. These Things Happen

**Chapter 2: These Things Happen**

**--Jen--**

_RING!_

And school was over. After six grueling hours of boring torture, there was no greater hell than school. My muscles were underused and my stomach was in pain with excitement. Excitement that we were finally leaving the horrid area.

"You think they hire teachers just to make us mad?" Marissa Carter, my spunky, blond best friend joked.

"Nah. There are other pointless reasons. They just _make_ them sound important." I joked as well.

"I wish we went somewhere cooler."

"Please! We could take classes in the sewers next to the one eyed rats and it'd still be cooler than this." I acted serious with this joke.

_CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!_

The two of us were standing outside, the winds of an upcoming storm made my skirt fly south. Like, around my ankles south.

Some plastic popular girls saw me with my skirt down as I swiftly pulled them back up. They approached to insult, "Cute skirt! Where'd you get it? The military? Because you were going commando."

There was a bandage on her nose; a perfect, solid opportunity to fight back, "Great bandage! You break your thirteenth nose already?"

"Well, I'll have you know, this is supposed to make my nose more beautiful." She snapped sassily.

"Oh, you're right, maybe it'll actually _look _like a nose this time." I sarcastically supported. Sarcastically, of course.

"Well those granny panties that fifty people just saw were totally going to distract from that zit on your nose! Man that honker could wipe out the Himalayas!" She totally walked all over me. I ran out of things to say, and was out-joked.

"Shut up. Leave us alone, you plastic machines! All you have to do in your life is insult people who actually have a brain. Now, why don't you run along to the lab and get your lives reprogrammed or something? Because we've got better things to do than take an unimportant comeback from some wind-up toy that just got manufactured from the freak factory. Now step, robots!" Marissa flew in with a very colorful speech as the snobby divas walked as if they still won.

"You better walk! Let us know if you run out of oil! We'll send you to the scrap heap!" I stuck my tongue out at the distant girls who were now pink blotches.

Marissa and I have definitely won the battle, though the popular wind-ups didn't like to admit it. Our bus pulled up at the school's sidewalk curb. But as we almost entered the bus, our principal called for us in his office. He came with very, very bad news.

"Marissa, Jennifer, your parents…your parents are dead." Principal Williams frowned and was serious.

"What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That can't be." I tried to pull joke out of him. But it was no joke. Mr. and Mrs. Carter and Wilson were dead. Marissa and I ran off to our homes with that deadly nightmare in our heads. We lay on my bed, mourning, and weeping desperately. After crying for no more than seven hours, we planned on going to a foster home and living there until someone adopts us as sisters.

We walked sadly towards the foster home with suitcases of necessities, like clothes, and others. We strolled through the empty park with our heads down, and didn't see a meteor hurdling at us, coming quicker under the gray cloudy sky. It gained speed towards the earth, as I looked up to watch it crash-land feet away from where we stood. I approached bravely.

"What is it?" I asked Marissa from a distance. It looked like a space pod of some sort. Silver, chrome, and beautifully crafted, I touched the harmless-looking thing. It softly hissed open.

There sat a belt; it was sleek, black and started to attract towards me. It attacked me and latched on tight. I attempted to fight it off of me but it was like trying to slice water. Even Marissa tried unlocking it. But, nothing.

"Let's just leave it. We need to get to the orphan house." Marissa cut in. I left it alone, trying to keep from getting it mad or something.

We retrieved our suitcases and walked towards the orphan house. It wasn't like in those scary movies; just the sky fit that description. But it looked like a perky apartment home, so Marissa and I weren't as scared to come in.

"Come on," I led, already halfway up the concrete stairs. We entered to see some kids with disorders, being entertained with adults, making us feel sorry. Like watching hurt dogs on those help commercials who look like they'd been crying all their lives. A lady approached us.

"Hi, uh, our parents died at--"

"Yes the fire at the B Building. Your parents were four of the hundreds that died. I'm sorry. But we have shelter here, if you like." The nice lady said with sympathy. I was glad we had someone's. The lady was dressed like a nurse, a closed white doctor's jacket, and a paper hat that probably ruined her blond hair.

She led us towards a bland, extended hallway with doors lining the sides and an elevator on the end of the foyer. She pressed a small, circular button that lit when she touched it. After several floors, we arrived at our floor and walked silently to a large room that Marissa and I would share. There were two walk in closets, and a clean bathroom for two in the middle.

"Thanks Miss--" I thanked. I still didn't know what to call her.

"Miss Thorpe. But please, call me Lola. We're all friends here." She answered sweetly. She then gave directions in the same tone, "Breakfast is at 9:00 AM. Dinner at 6:00 PM. Lunch is when the kids under 13 are allowed to wander the streets of this town and grab lunch. You only have 1 hour to get back, and your given 20 dollars! Sounds exciting, huh?" Lola told.

"It's great. Are we going to get any furniture? We didn't bring any." I asked, looking at the empty room.

"Oh, yes, the new furniture will come in next week. Two single beds, two cabinets, two wardrobes, one TV. You two are going to work that part out." Lola explained.

"Great! Thanks!" Marissa was grateful.

"You wait here and I'll go get your records. You need some things to sign." Lola left to fetch our records, as we put out our belongings.

A good deal of minutes passed and Lola came with folders.

"So Marissa, this is your first orphanage, and Jen, your second." Lola said.

"What? No, there must be a typo. This is my first. I've never been…" I stopped to let Lola have her turn.

"I'm sorry, but it says here that you were adopted by the Wilson's at 3 hours old. Your birth name is Jennifer Tennyson." Lola explained.

"No, no, no. This can't be." I tried to fight it.

"It is. You're a twin, and your birth parents are still alive, so is your brother…Ben. He currently lives in Bellwood. But the thing is, we can't take you there." Lola said as she left.

"I'm a twin. I'm adopted. I'm embarrassed. I'm chosen by an alien watch. And on top of it all, a storm is coming. Know what? I can't even live right now." I needed time to think. So, I lay on my clothes that were spread out as hundred thoughts ran through my head.

I have a twin named Ben, I'm adopted, and my birth name is Jen Tennyson. A while ago, I wished for a brother. Now I have one. Just goes to show you, you have to be careful what you wish for.

"I'm going to find him." I told Marissa that night. I was going to find my twin.

--Ben--

I woke up in my sleeping bag late afternoon to find Gwen on her computer.

"Morning." I screeched my hair up like the rainforest, and my eyes more crusted than a pizza. I admit, I didn't look my best that morning.

"What's up? You look like a million bucks." Gwen said sarcastically.

"Does a million bucks look this bad?" I made fun of myself.

"How should I know?" she typed some unreadable words into her large investigator's computer, "Look at this. Jen Tennyson currently is in an orphan home at Bismarck. Says here, there was a pod that landed near the orphan house and she seemed to take confounds; Odd alien technology. It reads the same frequency as the watch."

"You mean my sister has an Omnitrix?" I asked curiously, "Wait how in the world do you know any of this?"

"Oh, it's easy. I've had access to this stuff since we figured out Grandpa Max was a plumber. It's just cross-wired technology. An investigator's hyper computer, inter-connected with the high-tech circuitry from the most state-of-the-art drives in the galaxy." Gwen answered smartly.

"Remind me to pick up one of those at the electronics store." I laughed sarcastically, "But, my sister's in Bismarck? How far is that?"

"Pretty far." Gwen replied, with that sorry-but-its-true look in her eye.

"Oh. We still going to get her?"

"Duh. We just need to let Kevin in on it."

"You really think he's going to believe us?"

That afternoon, we were talking to Kevin.

"I believe you." He approved.

"What? You actually believe me?" I was surprised somewhat, but still glad to have his back-up.

"Yeah. Besides, if we find her, I'd have three Tennyson kids to mess around with."

"Shut it, Kevin." Gwen wasn't as pleased.

"What? Just saying."

"We can talk about our priceless collections later. Right now, I've got a sister to find." I said nobly. With that, we jumped in the green car with one suitcase of clothes per person, and went off to Bismarck to find my sister.

Hours passed, as I sat in the back tediously, messing around with the Omnitrix. I found that it could now tell the time of any planet in the universe, I could get some info on my aliens, and a tracking device. I saw hundreds of plumber's badges all over Earth symbolized as green twinkling dots, but paid no attention. I was more focused on the other symbol of the Omnitrix. There was mine; and someone else's in North Dakota.

"She's in North Dakota."

"No duh, Ben. Bismarck is the capitol of North Dakota." Kevin snapped.

"I knew that. Just though it would help to say." I figured. I really didn't know that, I admitted to myself.

"Okay, right. Just shut it. Go to sleep or something. We're not near being there yet." Kevin ordered.

"Be nice." Gwen added tension.

"You do the same." Kevin was grumpy, and needed sleep. His mind was like an old person's.

"Kevin? You need sleep. Just stop here, I'll drive." Gwen cut in.

"What? No. You sleep. I'm driving."

"You're just going by stereotype; 'only the men drive' or whatever."

"I don't go by stereotype. I just don't want you crashing into something."

"You think I'm that idiotic?"

"Apparently. You're 15; you don't even have a learner's permit yet."

"Kevin. The road is empty. No one's going to know."

"Who are you and what have you done with Gwen?"

"She's here and wants to drive."

This was the usual argument where no one won and Kevin would end up in trouble. This was going to last all night, and I don't see how I was going to sleep in this debate. I guess I'll just fake it, then, I'll probably doze off. Maybe.


	3. My Heart Needs You

Notes: I know, I know. Ben doesn't get none action. But he will, he will! I promise you! I promise, promise. Alright. I just need a couple minutes to add an arch-enemy. I didn't really enjoy this chapter much myself, but still, it adds to the story flow. A boring chapter, I know, but it's still a very important ingredient. Try to enjoy.

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**Chapter 3: My Heart Needs You**

**--Jen--**

"C'mon. I'm leaving this dump and finding my parents." I instructed harshly, judging the orphan home falsely. It's not like it was a horrible life; I wanted to see someone I'd love the moment I saw them. That was Ben, my big brother. Well, by 6 seconds.

"What? Are you crazy?" Marissa looked at my like I belonged in the psyche ward, wrapped up in a straightjacket.

"No. I'm going to get out and find my brother." I shot back.

"They're going to find us when we leave. Then, we'd be in huge trouble. Besides, Ben and his family are probably going to come here now."

"If they gave me away, I don't think they're going to want me back."

"True. But we will be in deep sludge the minute we leave here."

"Yeah. We should think it through."

"Truthfully, I don't want to stay here long either."

"See? You're my friend. I knew you wouldn't just let me go without you."

We sat around the empty room, and had one last hope: Lola.

"Lola will _so_ not let us go." Marissa added, as we crept through the hall, searching for her room.

"You got anything else? They've got our records. If we just leave, they'd 100 find us." I subjected.

"Whatever. Let's just find her."

We crept into the elevator and saw a button: Staff Quarters.

"Press it, hurry! I heard someone coming. We're not allowed to be creeping at night unsupervised." Marissa whispered loudly.

I pressed it, and the person awake was only a kid. Nonetheless, he could report us. But we're just lucky that they couldn't see our faces. The elevator dinged open, and we moved around the hallway, searching for Lola. There! She lay quietly, tired from all her work.

"Hey…hey Lola…it's us…Jen and Marissa…" I poked her cheek obnoxiously, until she woke.

"Girls? What're you doing up?" she asked silently, rubbing her eyes.

"We're busting out of here. We need your help." Marissa explained.

"What? No! I can't let you do that." She fought.

"Please, Lola. This is my last chance to find my brother, and a family I could live with. That's your motto, right? 'Let none be unloved.' These people could really love us." I read a sob story.

"I'm sorry…" She was losing.

"You said we were friends." Marissa interrupted. There was a long, awkward silence.

"Fine." She gave in, "But how are you going to get out of here without them knowing?"

"We'll let them know we're leaving. Fake an adoption. Is that possible?" I planned.

"Yeah, actually. Lots of people have done it." Lola nodded.

By morning, the plan had already taken action. Lola gave a wink and went to the owner of the orphanage, with some papers and forged signatures. Marissa and I listened at the door. We could only hear distinct mumbling, but it sounded like things were falling in place.

She came out, "You are now Marissa and Jennifer Marcus. Here are your passports, ID's, and some cash. You guys better get going to "the Marcus's."

"Thank you, thank you, Lola. Whenever you need us, anytime." I handed her my cell number.

"Oh! Thanks. Here is mine. Call whenever you like. I'll be waiting. Now go!" She shooed us out. We waved at her, and we were off to find my brother.

The searing sun beat down on us, as I looked to the weird alien belt that attached. We had just left Bismarck, and were on foot to Montana.

"What do you think this thing does?" I eyed it curiously.

Marissa shrugged, unable to find the energy to speak.

"Let's test it." I pushed a slightly larger button that surrounded the center symbol. That caused the center emblem to rise spontaneously, as it began to spin. I was so surprised, I didn't even understand it.

"What'd you do?!" Marissa shouted, as we stopped to watch it work.

It stopped all of a sudden. There was an odd silhouette of an insect thing. I pressed it, and my body began to change- my eyes were now stalks, and were at the side of my head, and my legs multiplied. Wings flew out of my back, and I drooled some freaky goop uncontrollably.

"Aah! What am I?" I stared at my hands; black and pincer-like.

Marissa was actually…smiling, "Cool!"

"So not! I'm a bug! I feel like I should be being chased by a fly swatter into a jar!" I was scared of myself. Horrified, even.

"You still have control over yourself, right?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Then quit freaking out. This'll actually help us."

"How?"

"Fly! You can carry me!"

"Fine but you're carrying the bags." I pointed to our backpacks. We were just glad that we ditched the heavy suitcases for something a little lighter. Soon enough, I found myself flying over the road with Marissa on my back. I was starting to like having this weird belt.

But as I was flying over the road, I saw this green car stop ahead of us, and a boy came out to yell, asking for help. They might've hurt us, so Marissa and I didn't want to test our luck. Plus, I didn't have time to stop for pictures. I had a brother to find.

**--Ben--**

"Hey! Hey!" I yelled to a flying Stinkfly-looking alien carrying a girl. I waved my hands to catch its attention. It just flew by, acting as if it didn't see me.

"Ben, just leave it. It's got places to be." Gwen ordered me back into the car.

"You're right." I jumped back into the car. "Floor it!"

Kevin smiled, and we took off speedily. Hours later, we arrived at the Saint Frederick's Orphan Home.

"It's the place." I looked.

"Make sure. She might not be there." Gwen wanted to be specific.

"No time! My sister's in there!" I ran inside. I didn't want to be specific.

I laid eyes on this blond lady as I entered, "My sister is in here. Jen Tennyson. Where is she?"

"I'm sorry. She's left." The blond lady answered.

"What?"

"She left."

"Oh. Thanks for your help." I looked down gloomily. Outside, I saw Kevin and Gwen looking at me eagerly. I shook my head, no.

"Well check! Gwen told you too." Kevin ordered.

"Fine it's not like it's going to help." I clicked the tracking device on, to find the other Omnitrix symbol nowhere near mine.

"Told you so." Gwen gave me an I-won look.

"Oh, shut up. Get in the car. That Stinkfly? It was her." I was outsmarted, trying to vhange the subject, "'She's got places to be.' Yeah right. Looking for me, that is."

"Well at least I had half a mind to check." Gwen shot back.

"Let's just focus, please." I _really _didn't want to fight.

We tore down the road, searching for Jen, but we couldn't see her. The map didn't even show her either.

"I can't see her on the map!" I shouted in shock.

"It must be in the red. It's hard to track things when they're turned off." Gwen figured.

"Good point." I agreed.

"Imagine it; she falls down one hundred feet in the air, because the watch turned red." Kevin laughed.

"Not funny, Kevin." Gwen attacked with a smack in his head.

"Hey. Just saying."

"You 'just say' a lot of things."

"Well, yeah, I do."

"Well, when you 'just say' something, it starts to turn into saying something."

"Difference?"

"When _you_ say it, you're 'just saying' it. But who knew 'just saying' something had so much meaning."

"It doesn't."

"It does."

This was going to go on forever. I swear, these people could write an entire novel if they ever took a break from fighting. But, why was I caring? I needed to focus on the map for my sister. I couldn't see her on the map. For once, I wondered what my sister was doing at the moment. There's a first time for everything.


	4. Caught

You like it? I hope so. Big coincidences in this chapter! :)

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**Chapter 4: Caught**

**--Jen—**

"So, Jen. When are we going to land?" I heard Marissa say. It was hard to hear anything by the flutter of these stupid gigantic wings, but, hey, at least they're helping.

"I don't kno--" I was cut off by this beeping noise. At the center of my face, there was this weird little insignia or logo that blinked red in the center; a glaring red. And before I knew it, I was normal Jen Wilson—I mean, Jen Tennyson, and I was falling for my death with my best friend with me.

"Aaahhhhh!!" We couldn't help but screech, I mean, heck, it was nighttime, and I couldn't see a thing. We could have fallen into some poisonous vat or a spiky rock field for all I knew.

But then, I took a hard slap on the back, and landed on something thick and bouncy. Up and then down I went. I instantly knew: we landed on a trampoline, and our backpacks landed on us, sadly, but nonetheless, what a lucky break. Just as lucky as it got, it was just as unlucky; it was the trampoline of a college sorority party. Eww.

"Look! Teenagers. They're drinking bad stuff. I don't think I want to go in there." Marissa noted.

"Agreed." I was so happy she didn't. I'm so easily pulled in by her, "C'mon. Let's sneak out around that backyard gate. Pray that they don't see us."

"Yeah, hurry. Grab the bags." She ordered, moving swiftly like a scared rat. The yard was faintly lit and untouched. Finely cut topiaries towered over the elegant lilies, and the blue lights highlighted the cleanly painted wooden fence.

A large apple tree stood in the center, providing enough shade on those hot summer days, and tasty apples to crunch when hungry. And lining the mysterious, yet welcoming tool shed were patches of growing soil were, obviously vegetables grew. And, the main attraction of the backyard was the pool of refreshing water, and a rushing waterfall. The haven was untapped, as Jen and Marissa snuck through it. Obviously, the teenagers haven't raided the backyard yet.

"Hurry, hurry!" Marissa whispered loudly. I only had two legs! And, two bags, making my hands sink, and Marissa had me doing the heavy work.

"I'm coming! Sheesh!" How annoying. But I couldn't help it. I finally caught up; Marissa's orders, and came to the iron gate that Marissa stood outside of.

Then, the music at the stinky teenagers' party switched of for about two seconds. After that, screaming. My heart raced, and my bones were petrified. I didn't know what I was more scared of; the thing that stopped the party, or the teenagers fleeing from it.

"Hide!" Marissa screamed, like some others did, so we hid. We ran to the neighbor's yard and waited for the lame teens to evacuate. But as we emerged from our crowded, leafy hiding spots, a cop found us. Uh-oh. Trouble.

"You girls, come with me." He said sternly. The man's russet moustache grew funnily above his lip, and his pitch-black glasses hid his eyes. But you had this stabbing feeling that they were either angry at us, or giving that I-got-you-know look. I hated those looks.

"We didn't do anything. Please, you have to understand." I tried to explain for the millionth time down at the Police Department. It said Montana, so I guess we traveled that far.

"Did they offer you any beverages? Anything?" He questioned. The white, bland department was lined with boredom, painted bricks, white iron bars, and tough-looking people behind them.

"No! Even if they did, we aren't stupid enough to take it. We're not idiots." Marissa said, back-sassing the cop. I didn't think she realized that this was a police officer and not the plastic popular girls at school.

"I'm going to have to keep you in a jail cell unless someone can come and bail you out." The officer explained. Irony is a powerful thing, isn't it? If only my parents weren't…I don't know…dead!

But before we knew it, we were trapped in a jail cell at the police station, were we had to sleep that night. At least all of the luck didn't run out; we didn't have to share it with one of those criminal outlaws. I couldn't even sleep that night. And not because the bed was so lumpy and hard, or not because there was constant crying in the other cells. We were getting out by sunup. How? Good question.

**--Ben—**

"Ben, it's late. Bed." Gwen lectured and reminded me of my curfew.

"Fine. Whatever…" I responded, as I laid my bed on one end of the backseat, and lifted my legs onto the other, trying to drift away. But I couldn't just sleep. My sister was out there, I don't know, somewhere in Montana, while we're still trying to get out of North Dakota.

"Yeah, Ben. It's night-night time. Want a bottle to help you get to sleep?" Kevin insulted, seizing the opportunity.

The woods passed us again, and again, and again, until there was nothing but trees to see for miles and miles. They were frightening, too. Their shape, how tall they were, how dark it was. And I was looking up at them. It made me shudder a little. The darkened night sky gave a little light, all thanks to the stars and moon that lived in the evening, alongside some identifiable black clouds. I remember, my mom would tell me, every time you'd see a cloud; they were sheep.

_The black sheep would only come out at night, and that means, there's rain tomorrow, and the gray ones come out when it's a rainy day. Then the white sheep would stay out when the sun was happy. _She'd say, and then I'd look up and watch the clouds outside of my window next to me.

I saw a couple black sheep in the sky that night…then Kevin blasted the radio. And I was just about to fall asleep too. What a tension-breaker.

"Kevin! Ben's trying to sleep!" Gwen yelled loudly over the radio.

"And yelling is going to help it?!" Kevin also tried to scream over the loud music.

"I wouldn't have to yell, if you'd turn it down!"

"What?! I can't hear you! The music's up to loud!"

"You heard me earlier!"

"What?!"

"Shut up, you two! I see something!" I interrupted, looking up at the front window. That mysterious sign was a great excuse for me to stop them from bickering. So Kevin turned down the radio, and I activated the mapping device on the Omnitrix as we pulled up onto the clearing.

"Look. That dot there's blinking green." Gwen pointed out, "It's either help, or trouble."

"I say we give it a shot. It's fifty fifty." Kevin not only seized his opportunity for insults, but for battle too.

"Then let's go." I directed, opening the door, and stepping out to close it. Gwen and Kevin did the same.

"It looks like a…a carnival…" Gwen stepped cautiously at the lead.

"Maybe it's a clown kid." Kevin joked.

"What?" Gwen thought Kevin was absurd, you could tell by her remark.

"Maybe a clown kid has a plumber's badge." Kevin explained. It was a joke, but he wasn't laughing.

"It's possible." I added, "I mean, we're at a carnival."

"Yeah, but it's abandoned." Gwen was right. The rides were rusted, the stands were deserted, and the smell had come, and then faded, "We would have seen an open carnival miles from here."

"True. Let's keep going. The green dot isn't moving. And we're getting closer." I still had the mapping device out.

We kept moving closer, and closer, being more cautious, every step. Any one of these rides could fall apart at any second, and would come tumbling down, or crack like cheap linoleum. Then again, there was always Gwen with her quick reflexes. Ahh, whatever. We passed an old, rusty Ferris wheel that would've stretched for miles up, but must've been fallen down and was somewhat overcome with vines.

"It's getting scary…" Gwen remarked quietly, and was silently thieved away into the woods, unable to scream for help.

"Where did Gwen go? She was right here." Kevin wondered, "I just saw--" and he was thieved away without me noticing.

"Kevin? Kevin?! Kevin?! Where'd you go?! Come out--" and I was caught. This creature had me pinned down tight, I couldn't reach for the Omnitrix. I couldn't make his face out, but he looked like, like a clown…

He took me in a hole somewhere, and threw me in some sort of underground jail cell. I tried going hero, but these bars were built too hard. Even Humongosaur couldn't even bust his way through. But as I returned to normal, I heard two familiar voices.

"Ben! Ben is that you?" The voices said. Gwen and Kevin. That was for sure.

"Gwen? Kevin? Yeah, it's me." I replied.

"How do you get out of here?" Gwen yelped. Apparently she had tried, otherwise she wouldn't be asking me.

"Yeah, Ben. I've tried." Apparently Kevin tried too. They all had some pretty challenging questions in mind. I had to do something. And for right now, it was to think.


End file.
